AN ARTHRITIS sufferer with a brain tumour has won a legal battle with a doorman who he claims blinded him in one eye after plunging his thumbs into his eye sockets, in a nightclub dispute.

Chris Buckton, 55, lost his sight in one eye and has serious injuries in the other after a night out with his wife Linda went disastrously wrong when they decided to visit a nightclub.

Four years on, the dad-of-two has dropped his civil court action, due to be heard in Newcastle County Court this month, after the doorman — James Wilson — agreed to pay him £20,000.

The alleged attack came when the bouncer, who was head doorman, questioned whether the couple had paid their entrance fee into Monty’s Nightclub in Stanley, County Durham, after arriving there in the early hours of February 15 2004.

It is claimed Mr Wilson — known as Jimmy the Fingers — forced Mr Buckton, to the floor, sat on his chest and pushed his thumbs into his eyes.

The incident shocked Mr Buckton, who has arthritis and a pituitary tumour, a form of brain tumour in the base of his optic nerve that is controlled through daily medication.

He said: “I can still clearly remember the incident. We were arguing about having already paid our entrance fee when my wife unfortunately tried to enter the club. A doorman grabbed her and I tried to intervene fearing for her safety.

“I was then thrown to the floor, sat upon and felt a sharp pain in both eyes. I remember Wilson saying at the time ‘I’ll blind you.’ Then a number of doormen ejected me, my wife and another couple from the club.”

Police arrested two of the doormen but after sending the papers to the Crown Prosecution Service it was decided no charges would be brought, prompting the couple to take legal action themselves, through Ben Hoare Bell solicitors.

The nightclub firm JWS Leisure, based in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has since gone into administration, so a civil battle was launched against James Wilson, of Usher Moor, County Durham, and his company Knight Door Security Services Ltd which, according to Companies House records, applied to be struck off last year.

Richard Hardy, a partner at the solicitors branch in Sunderland said: “Mr Wilson filed defences denying the claim which included his statement that our client’s injuries were as a result of Mr Buckton’s wife’s hitting him with her stiletto heel during the altercation.

“The trial was due to be heard before Newcastle County Court this month but the claim has been settled due to Mr Wilson and the security company agreeing to pay substantial damages to Mr Buckton.”